Jalen Wise

Jalen Wise is an Afro-Latin and Indigenous woodwind doubler based in Richmond, Virginia. They specialize across the woodwind family—including flute, saxophone, clarinet, and oboe—and is also an accomplished vocalist. As a pit musician, Jalen has performed as a reed player for numerous productions, including Shrek the Musical (Reed 1), Chess (Reeds 2 and 3), The Addams Family (Reed 1), A Strange Loop, A Chorus Line (Reed 1), and Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 (Rovner clarinet and standard clarinet books). They are also slated to join an upcoming production in the near future.

In addition to their theatre work, Jalen is an active soloist and ensemble performer. They have been featured as a vocalist with VCU’s Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, performing “Whatever Lola Wants” at both Virginia Commonwealth University and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. As an instrumentalist, they have appeared as a featured flute soloist with the same ensemble and as a jazz clarinet soloist with the VCU Contemporary Jazz Orchestra, also playing alongside notable musicians such as Steve Wilson.  Jalen has also recorded with the Richmond-based touring group Butcher Brown at Spacebomb Studios and has performed at major events such as the Saxophone Symposium hosted at George Mason Univesity, the National Flute Association Convention and the Mid-Atlantic Flute Convention. A dedicated orchestral musician, they have held principal positions in top ensembles including the VCU Symphony Orchestra and Symphonic Wind Ensemble, and has performed in many different chamber settings such as saxophone quartets.

Jalen’s career aspirations include working as a Broadway woodwind doubler and on-call pit musician, with the goal of touring nationally and performing across a wide range of musical settings. They also aim to release original music, contribute to film, television, and video game soundtracks, and pursue a collegiate teaching role as a woodwind studio professor while maintaining an active performance career. As a singer—their first instrument—Jalen continues to seek opportunities to expand their vocal work alongside their instrumental pursuits.